Valve device for steam-heating apparatus.



PATBNTED SEPT. 26, 1905. J. L. PITTS. VALVE DEVICE FOR STEAM HEATINGYAPPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 13, 19M.

,6 .WITIIIESSESI:% m

I mmvran ATTORNEY.

ANDREW. a. cnmm'om rno1o-mmoumus4 wnumm'om n. c.

JAMES LOGAN FITTS,- OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA WARREN WEBSTER AND COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Nesooass.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES LOGAN Flrgrs, of

Logan Station, Philadelphia, county of'Phila delphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Valve Devices for Steam-Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

In modern steam-heating practice it is usual to remove the air and water of condensationfrom the radiators, heaters, or coils by themaintenance of a lower pressure or suction 1n the returns.

' terns that means shall be employed to so control the discharge of the air and water that the escape of uncondensed steam may be prevented. Automatic motor-valves are frequently used for this purpose,- in which the main outlet for water of condensation is controlled by a motor, operated by the formation of differential pressure when the water accumulates in the valve-body. The air' is extracted through a normally open air-vent or passage-way, and when this is closed, either by mechanical means actuated by the water of condensation or by the formation of a Water seal, the suction in the outlet createsa lower pressure on one side of the motor and the valve is opened. To prevent the waste of uncondensed steam through this normally open air-vent, it should be made as small as possible, and a very small area is suflicient for the discharge of air. This vent must not, however, be of smaller area than the suctionpassage between the motor and outlet, as that would result in the maintenance of differential on the motor, which would hold the valve constantly open. tion-passage between the motor and outlet must not be'as small as would be suflicient simply for the discharge of air, since it must be large enough to enable the air to be extracted sufiiciently quickly when the air-vent is closed to effect an immediate response in the motor to the presence of water of condensation. For these reasons it-is usually the case that the air-vent is much larger than is necessary for the discharge of air and there is a resulting waste of steam. It is the object of my invention to overcome this diificulty and to enable the air-vent to be reduced to the smallest areanecessary for the discharge of the air without afi'ecting the formation of Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed-December I3, 1904. Serial No. 236,762. I

It is necessary in such sys- On'the other hand, the suc- VALVE. DEVICE FOR STEAM-HEATING APPARATUS.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

the differential pressure when the vent is closed and the sensitiveness of the valve.

. In carrying out my object I make the airvent between the inlet and motor-chamber as small as possible and make the suction passageeway between the motor-chamber and outlet of a variable area, which automatically changes when the air-vent is sealed. When the air-vent is open, the area of the suction passage-way doesnot exceed that of the airvent, and consequently there is no waste of steam; but when the air-vent is sealed the area of the suction passage-way is immediately increased, so that the required difi'erential can immediately be formed. The means which I employ for thus automatically controlling the area of the suction passage-way is a movable check which is provided with an air vent or opening of an area which does not exceed that of the air-vent between the inlet and motor-chamber. When the latter vent is open, this check closes the suction-passage except for the small vent or opening through which the air passes.

When the air-vent is closed, this check is automatically moved or disturbed to an extent sufficient to enlarge ASSIGNOR TO the suction-passage and enable the differential to be produced in the motor. When the valve is opened and the water passes out, thewater acts upon the check to maintain the enlarged suction-passage until all the water has escaped. The check then closes the suction-passage to its minimum area and as the air-vent is then .unsealed the differential in themotor is broken and the valve closes. v

The device is extremely sensitive and responds instantly to changes incondition's. It

is also very simple in construction and contains no parts that are liable to get out of order.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my valve device, showing the same connected with a radiator-outlet. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the check for controlling the differential pressure. Fig. 3

is a vertical section of the motor, showing a modification of the check; and Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating a further modification. 60 is the usual valve-body, having an inletb and outlet 0.! As shown, the inlet is connected with the outlet 62 of a steam-radiator e and the outlet with the return-pipe f. The outlet 0 is controlled by the cup-shaped motor It, which rests upon the seat about the outlet and is provided with a suction-passage v1, registering with the outlet, but of smaller area: The upper walls of the motor h extend up into valve-body within a surrounding wall 7' with a loose piston tit, forming a slight clearance is between them and said surrounding wall. This clearance 7e forms the air-vent between the inlet and motor-chamber. In the particular construction shown this surrounding wall 7' is an annular extension of the cap 121, which is screwed into the upper open end of the valvebody.

a is a small check-valve within the motor it closing the passage 6 therein, but leaving a small air passage-way from said orifice to the interior of the motor. In the construction shown in Fig. 1 this check-valve consists of a small disk resting loosely in the base of the motor, and the air passage-way is provided by small nicks p in its edge, as is shown more clearly in Fig. 2.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the check consists of a small ball 1/. and the air passageway is provided by small nicks p in the edge of the orifice a.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the disk a is not nicked on its outer edge, but is provided with a small central tube 2 which projects down through the orifice '21 and outlet 0 and forms the small air passage-way.

The area of the check or disk or must be materially greater than that of the outlet 0. In the construction shown in the drawings they are in the ratio of one to four.

When the valve-body is substantially free of water of condensation, the motor will remain upon its seat and the clearance]; between the walls of the motor h and the surrounding wall 'will be unsealed. The air may then pass from the inlet 6 through the vent 0r clearance 70, air passage-way p, and suction-passage i to the valve-outlet 0. The passageway thus afforded may be made very minute-just sufficient to permit the escape of the air without any appreciable waste of steam. When, however, water of condensation accumulates in suilicient quantity to rise into and seal the vent or clearance k, this free passage for the air will be closed, and the air will then be drawn from the upper side of the motor by the suction or lower pressure in the return. Owing to the very small size of the air passagewaypdiowever,theditferential pressure which could thus be created would be formed too slowly to make the motor respond as quickly and to open the outlet 0 as fully as is desirable, and it is for this reason that the check a is employed.

The extraction of the air from the space above the motor after the formation of the water seal disturbs the light check a to a sufficient extent to increase the opening to the l discharge of air beyond that allorded by the nicks 7). This slight disturbance and resulting increase in the suction-opening permits the air to be more quickly exhausted I'rom the space above the motor and results in a much quickeropeningot the valve than could otherwise be obtained. The instant the motor /1 is raised from its seat to any appreciable extent the water will start to ilow through the outlet 0, and as it passes out will surge'up to some extent through the oritice into the motor /I, and acting on the check/1 will continut. to disturb or agitate it to such an extent that the greater suction-opening will be maintained and the motor will remain elevated as long as water is passing. As the area of the clearance 7:; is less than that of this enlarged suetion-opening, the ditierential will not be destroyed even after the water has fallen sutlieiently to unseal the clearance, sinre the air will be extracted faster than it can llow in through the very small space atl'orded by the clearance Z. As soon as the water passes out the check 17. comes to a state of rest, and the air-opening then being that allorded by the small nicks 1) the equilibrium ol pressures will be restored and the motor will deseend upon its seat. I am thus able to use a very minute passage-way j) for the discharge of air when the valve is closed, which would be wholly inadequate for the creation ol the ditt'ercntial pressure necessary to produce a quick action of the motor and to enlarge that passage-way by the movement of the cheek the instant the water seal is termed, so as to afford a suction-opening oi sullicient size.

\Vithout the check 71 the motor would remain open, since the air would be extracted from above the motor faster than it could pass in through the clearance Z. The cheek n, while reducing the suction-opening to a size that will enable the motor to close when the clearance Z? is unsealed, permits that opening to be increased to the larger size when the clearance is sealed.

Such water as passes through the clearance in into the motor or enters it by the surging action referred to will drain out through the small passage-ways 7).

The operation of the checks shown in Figs. 3 and 4: is similar to that described. In the construction shown in Fig. 3 a light hall n is used, and when the passage-way l is unsealed the air is extracted through the small \ent afforded by the nicks p in the orilice, and when the passage-way Z is scaled the ball is disturbed and the larger opening is all'orded.

In the construction shown in Fig. i the air is extracted through the small tube p", when the passage-way Z: is unsealed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A valve device for heating systems, eonsisting of a valve-body having an outlet, a

pressure-motorcontrolling said outlet and havin an air assage-way communlcating therewith, and a movable check controlling said air passage-Way and also having an air sisting of a valve-body having an outlet, a

pressure-motor controlling said outlet and having an orifice communicating therewith, and a movable check controlling said orifice and havlng an air passage- Way of an area much less than that of said orifice, said valve device being provided with an air passage-way between the upper side of the pressure-motor and the outlet side of the valve-body, adapted to be sealed by an accumulation of water of condensation.

3. In a valve device for heating systems, th

combination of a valve-bod y having an outlet,-

a pressure-motor controlling said outlet and having an orifice communicating therewith, the upper Walls of the motor extending up within a surrounding wall carried by the valve-body with a slight clearance between adapted to be sealed by an accumulation of water of condensation, and a movable check controlling said orifice and having an air passage-way of much less area than said orifice.

4. In a valve device for heating systems, the combination of a valve-body having an outlet, a pressure-motor controlling said outlet and having an orifice communicating therewith, the upper walls of the motor extendlng up within a surrounding wall carried by the valve-body with a slight clearance between adapted to be sealed by an accumulation of Water of condensation, and a movable check controlling said. orifice consisting of a loose disk arranged over the orifice and provided with an air passage-way of much less area than said orifice.

5. In avalve device for heating systems, the

combination of a valve-body having an outlet,

a pressure-motor controlling said outlet and having an orifice communicating therewith, the upper walls of the motor extending up Within a surrounding wall carried by the valvebody with a slight clearance between adapted to be sealed by an accumulation of water of condensation, and a movable check controlling said orifice consisting of a loose disk arranged over the orificeand having a.

nicked edge to form a small air passage-way.

6. In a valve device, the combination of a valve-body having an outlet, a cup-shaped pressure-motor controlling said outlet and having an orifice communicating therewith, and its upper wallsextending upintoa surrounding wall carried by the valve-body with a slight clearance between,- and a loose check .nication betweensaid pressure-motor and the outlet side of the valve-body.

8. In a valve device, the combination of a valve-body having an outlet, a pressure motor controlling said outlet and operated by the difierential pressure on its opposite sides, one side of said motor communicating with said outlet, and also with the inlet side of the valvebody by a passage-Way adapted to be sealed by an accumulation of water of condensation, and means actuated by the passage of the fluids through said valve device to control-the area of the communication between the pressuremotor and'the outlet.

9. In a valve device, the combination of a valve-body having an outlet, a pressu re-motor controlling-said outlet and operated by the differential pressure on its opposite sides, one side of said motor communicating with said outlet, and also with the inlet side of the valvebody by a passage-way adapted to be sealed by an accumulation of water of condensation, and Ya check located at and nearly but not entirely closing the communication between said pressure-motor and the outlet and adapted to be actuated by the passage ofthe fluids through said valve device.

10. In a valve device, the combination of a I valve-body having an outlet, a pressu re-motor controlling said outlet and operated by the differential pressure on the opposite sides; one side of said motor communicating with the inlet side of the valve-body through a passageway adapted to be sealed by an accumulation of water of condensation, and also with the outlet-by an opening of ad area substantially greater than the area of the communication with the inlet side, and a movable check controlling said opening to the outlet and having an air-opening of an area not greater than that of the communication with the inlet side, said check being arranged to be moved by the passage of the fluids through said valve-body to enlarge the air passage-way to the outlet when the communication to the inlet is sealed.

11. In a valve device, the combination of a valve-body'having an inlet and an outlet, a

pressure-motor controlling said outlet operated by a differential pressure, one side of the motor communicating with the inlet side of the valve-body through'an air-vent of limited area adapted to be controlled by the accumubody, and also with the outlet side through a set my hand. passage-Way of variable area, and means actuated by the passage of the fluids through the I 5 valve to vary the area of said passage-Way to the outlet when the communication between the motor and the inlet is closed.

lation of Water of condensation in the valve I In testimony of which invention I hereunto l l J. LOGAN FllT'lS.

Witnesses:

ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER, R. M. KELLY. 

